Dagon Rising(79)
Averting his gaze from the inside-out Dark Ones, Clark’s eyes fell on the toppled statues. In addition to a series of seemingly identical carvings that seemed to depict a winged thing with numerous tentacles, there were others. Some were immense, others small. They were all of various figures, some loathsome and painful to look at. Almost indescribable. One looked like a hideous blob with hundreds of mouths all over it, sprouting hoofed tentacles. Another figure also sported tentacles but was also winged and had two giant horns sprouting from its three heads. Looking at them for any length of time made Clark’s headache even worse, so he refrained and concentrated on the task at hand. The fillings in his teeth ached.
“Okay, gentlemen,” Amethyst said. “It’s show time.”
“What do we—”
A series of screams interrupted Tony.
“Shit,” he said. “That’s Jennifer!”
Clark wheeled toward the entrance, his weapon at the ready. Jennifer ran into the chamber, sobbing.
“What’s wrong?” Clark yelled. “What are you doing in here?”
“There’s a little one after me!”
“A little what?” Amethyst asked.
“A baby Clicker. They killed Susan. And Wade ran off.”
Amethyst didn’t seem bothered by this news. “It’s okay. The Clickers won’t enter this chamber. Even with their rudimentary intelligence, they know this is a place of great power, and they fear it. As for the Dark Ones, with the Elder dead, the rest of them will retreat back into the ocean.”
“How will they know he’s dead?” Clark asked.
“Believe me, they’ll know. Just to make sure, I’ve sent the image to them. Think of it as mental email, CC’ing every one of them in these tunnels.”
“Telepathy?”
Amethyst nodded. “Something like that. Very good, Mr. Arroyo.”
“What about Wade?” Jennifer asked, coming to stand beside Tony.
“And not to mention ol’ tentacle face.” Tony pointed at the portal. “You were insistent we finish up here. Tell me what I need to fucking do already, and then let’s get the fuck out of here. My head is killing me.”
“Very well.” Amethyst nodded as if satisfied. “Mr. Arroyo, I’d like you to stand next to the portal, if you’d be so kind?”
“Why?”
“Because it is absolutely essential that we all be in place before Tony begins.”
Clark met Tony and Jennifer’s eyes. Then, with a shrug, he took his place as indicated. He suppressed a shiver as he turned his back to the hovering rectangle. Water slopped out of the doorway and onto his feet.
“Ms. Wasco, you are welcome to join him if you like.”
“Screw that.” Jennifer slid closer to Tony. “I’m not getting anywhere near that thing.”
“Suit yourself.” Amethyst turned back to the hovering portal and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a fistful of something—Clark thought it might be salt or flour—and sprinkled the substance on the ground. Then he spoke again. “Eloim shammanta. Barra, Gigum xul.
Barra, Maskim xul. Ia idimmu, descente Leviathan.”
His voice had changed. Clark thought it sounded harsher—more strained. Clark noticed that as Amethyst spoke, the pain in his head increased even more. He reached up with one hand and rubbed his temple.
“It will pass soon,” Amethyst told him. “As soon as the entryway is closed.”
“What now?” Tony asked. His tone was impatient.
“The rest is easy,” Amethyst told him. “I’ll recite some words for you. Pay attention, because you’ll need to repeat them. Okay?”
Tony nodded. Clark and Jennifer shifted nervously.
“You must say Ia verminus Leviathan. Ia destrato Leviathan. LEVIATHAN.”
“Gesundheit.”
“Please, Tony. No jokes right now. Pay attention. Ia verminus Leviathan. Ia destrato Leviathan. LEVIATHAN. Can you remember that?”
Tony mouthed the words to himself and then nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”
“Correct. Once you have finished, you’ll need to say, ‘I bind and banish you according to the Law. You may not pass through the door. Go now and bother this Earth no more.’ Can you remember that, as well?”
“I’ve got it. So all I have to do is repeat that bullshit? How come you saying them just now wouldn’t work?”
“Because I am not one of The Seven. You are. And because there is something else you must do in conjunction with the words. Something that I cannot do myself. Something that only the person reciting the words can do.”
“And what’s that?”
“A sacrifice must be made. You’ll have to kill Mr. Arroyo.”